AMERICA

SUFFERED FROM POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS: The attacker on the Mormon church in Michigan was an Iraq War veteran!

by Serbian Times29. September 2025.29. September 2025.

At least four people were killed and eight wounded in the horrific attack on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the suburb of Flint, which occurred on Sunday morning. The attacker, identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford (40), a former Marine and Iraq War veteran, breached the church entrance with a vehicle, set the building on fire, and then opened fire on worshippers with an assault rifle. Police killed him eight minutes after the attack began, in the parking lot in front of the church.

Police confirmed that inside the church, worshippers were attempting to protect children, risking their own lives.

-They were moving children to safety while the attacker was shooting – the police chief stated.

Three improvised explosive devices were found at the scene of the shooting. The FBI has taken over the investigation and classified the attack as an “act of targeted violence.”

The charred remains of the church are still being searched, and authorities state there is an “unknown number” of missing worshippers. CNN reports that the number could be as high as seven people.

Sanford served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2004 to 2008, and during his mission in Iraq, he reached the rank of Sergeant and was decorated multiple times, including the Iraq Campaign Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. After the military, he worked as a car mechanic.

Family friends stated that Sanford struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). His family is known for its conservative political views and support for U.S. President Donald Trump.

Pro-Trump content often appeared on the family’s social media, including photographs where Sanford posed with his wife and child in t-shirts with political messages. A large “Trump 2020” sign and a sign reading: “Make Liberals Cry Again” were displayed in the yard of his house.

U.S. President Donald Trump condemned the attack on the social network Truth Social.

-This appears to be another targeted attack on Christians in America. The epidemic of violence in our country must end immediately – he wrote.

The investigation into the motive of the attack is still ongoing.